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Monday, April 23, 2012

Peruvian Beef and Potato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Argh! I linked to my photo editor this morning only to find everything, and I mean everything, has changed. Now I know long term I'll come to grips with this, but these changes are coming right on the heels of those made in blogger and with so little breathing room between upgrades I'm no longer sure if I'm right or left brained. As my vocabulary expands and becomes more colorful, I'm ever mindful that "those whom the gods would destroy they first make mad." That's mad as in angry, not as in insane. While I was able to load my photos, the rest of the process remains a (ladylike) crap shoot, so we'll have to see what transpires. Argh!

I've begun to collect and test recipes for Peruvian food and I was surprise by the importance the potato plays in Peruvian cuisine. As I did my research, I learned that the potato is native to Peru and was first cultivated in the upper climes of the Andes mountains. It was the mainstay of the Incan diet and when the Spaniards took samples back to Europe in the 16th century, it became a universal foodstuff. According to legend, the first thing the gods taught the founders of the Incan empire was how to sow potatoes. Those potatoes would become known as the fruit of the Andes and be revered as icons by some indigenous tribes.

I was delighted when I came across this soup on the Whole Foods Market website. It seemed fast and easy and, more importantly, sounded delicious. It did not disappoint. It is one of those soups that can bridge the seasons and it can be table ready in less than an hour. It's substantial enough to be filling and mild enough that there's a chance, a chance mind you, that the children will eat it. I do hope you will try it. Here's the recipe.
Peruvian Beef and Potato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Whole Food Markets
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup water
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 pound dried capellini (angel's hair) pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Cook beef in a large pot over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Remove from pot, set it aside and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2) Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add broth, water, potatoes, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
3) Add pasta and simmer until al dente, about 5 minutes. Return browned meat and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Discard bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

22 comments
:

This sounds absolutely delicious! And very easy to make as well. Around Wed and Thurs of this week it's supposed to get cooler again so I am going to try this. My son will eat anything that has ground beef in it!

This soup looks wonderful!!!!! Yes Blogger has finally gotten to me, too, and changed to the new look. I fail to see what is better about it, it just takes me longer to find things, you really make me laugh about this, because it is the way I feel, as well. Why do they keep changing things?

being the soup lover that I am, this is a must try. I just adore getting new recipes for soups! It doesn't even have to be cold for me to enjoy a nice warm bowl of soup!Hoping your day is filled with JOY.shug

Dear Mary, I know how you feel! When these changes are made it seems everything is changing at once! It seems to happen just when you think you have things down pat. I am not very computer literate as it is! Well, this soup would be a welcome treat at my table. Blessings dear Mary. Catherine xo

Yikes, I'm so sorry you had trouble with your photo editor...I know how frustrating it can be when you're blindsided by the changes. Hope things settle down quickly. It's funny to see you vent because you're always so calm and collected :) This soup looks so hearty and delicious and that's interesting insight into peruvian culture and potatoes.

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